Occupy This Space

I have watched with interest all the 'Occupy' gatherings around the country. As someone firmly entrenched in the 99% - albeit the upper 10% of that demographic, I completely sympathize with the catchphrase, 'Tax The Rich', depending on what you call 'Rich'.

I can't quite gel with 'Eat The Rich', though, largely because I am on a diet, and the 'Rich' may well be too fattening. The definition of who is 'Rich' is also important here, since my current pulchitrude would be too appealing if I were to be lumped in with the 'Rich'. Thankfully, a mortgage and college tuition for two will make it quite unlikely I will be mistaken for a 'Ritchie' anytime before I die.

Generally, though, I am behind the movement. And I do mean 'behind'. My generation had enough of getting clubbed and water-hosed back in the 60's and 70's. I'll hang back and defend the rear guard. I accept your thanks with great humility. You are welcome.

My favorite role in this movement would be as the 'counselor' or 'Grand Vizier' (if that's not too Islamic for political correctness). I believe I could give good advice. My first guidance would be to occupy someplace nice. For instance, why occupy downtown LA? Why not Santa Monica? It's still part of Greater LA and Santa Monica boasts the best facilities for the homeless in America - plus there's the beach for getting clean. And don't forget the stunning view.

My second bit of imparted wisdom would be to combine the protest with some practical and helpful action, like street repair. Why not fill up some potholes which marching around? Leave the place you are occupying better than you found it. Spread a little grass seed around the park while you are pounding up the soil with your protesting feet. Paint over some graffiti (faster than you create it).

Of course, the ultimate and overall goal of this movement is, as near as I can gather, to get government in this country to shift a reasonable portion of its attention from the richest of Americans to the rest of us. To get Congress to think about us, the people they have been elected to represent, at least as much as they think about the corporations who fund their campaigns and who bribe (pardon, 'lobby') them with junkets and trinkets and jobs (oh my!)

I wish the movement all success in getting this message through. At the moment, though, it seems the active 'occupiers' aren't too focused in their demands, and it will remain to be seen whether anything realistic and meaningful comes of the movement. Even if it doesn't, those in power in this government, and their corporate backers, would be remiss in dismissing this movement. As I alluded in an earlier blog post, 'occupy' may be the surface bubbling of a vaster underground volcano. Better to do something progressive to release that pressure now, than bottle it up and risk a major blow-out later.

Poetry Break: Perry Draws a Blank

Governor Perry Had But Three

Agencies to Tank

Two he could remember,

On the Third he drew a Blank

Deer in headlights, Mind wiped by Fear

He couldn't dredge it up, his Brain was out of Gear

Is this the End of Perry's Charge?

Will his Campaign sink, like a torpedoed Barge?

Governor Perry Had But Three

Agencies to Tank

Two he could remember,

On the Third he drew a Blank

For this mighty lapse, Mitt has much to Thank

Lightning Judgement

The Penn State child molestation case has taken ominous form: like a racing, ravenous beast it is quickly chewing up lives and reputations.

It was only a few days ago the story first broke, and now we have coach Joe Paterno and the school president both fired.

And nobody's had a single day before a judge and jury. Not the alleged perpetrator, not the school president, and not Mr. Paterno.

The trial will eventually take place, and we'll know the truth of this sordid and tragic nightmare, but the verdict will come after the de facto sentence for Coach Joe. Perhaps the information the Penn State Boad of Trustees has received is specific and convincing enough to take action, but they haven't told us a thing.

I guess in the court of public opinion, only an accusation is needed, if it's horrible enough and the people and institutions involved are newsworthy.

UPDATE:

The news now is a grand jury has produced a report which details the allegations against the alleged perpetrator. Paterno and the rest are in the hot seat for not reporting what they knew to the police as soon as they knew it. Ostensibly the reports are Paterno did nothing illegal (although others higher-up did), but failed on moral and ethical grounds.

Although the soon-to-be-defendant hasn't yet had a day in court (the alleged perp denies all charges), the consequences of his (alleged) actions continue to cascade and amplify outwards, affecting not just the victims (who have suffered enough), but dragging more and more people into the vortex. Some of the people who have been (or will be) punished for their involvement will deserve it. Certainly the defendant, if proved guilty, will. Others may to varying degrees. But a few won't. They will be crucified for peripheral sins, or by mere association, or for just being less-than-perfect humans at a time when perfection was expected (in hind sight).

UPDATE TWO:

Click here to access the ABC News link to the Grand Jury presentment

If even half of what is presented is proven in a court of law ... but I don't see where Paterno is legally cited for anything other than poor judgement. The brunt of the blame, other than to the truly sick perpetrator, goes to Paterno's bosses for apparently lying to the Grand Jury. Still, Coach Joe has retained a criminal defense lawyer as of Friday, November 11.

UPDATE THREE (Nov 17):

Penn State is circling the wagons as the lawsuit storms gather on the horizon. As some of the victims (I guess we must still say 'alleged' at this point) hire attorneys, everyone at Penn State seems to be getting lawyered up too. The Board of Trustees actions in firing the President and Coach Paterno (and others) begins to make more sense as a CYA attempt at damage control. But, a bit like putting up sandbags to hold back the Mississippi, the benefit is likely to be temporary.

Meanwhile, the principal character in all this, the alleged Perpetrator, does a phone interview with a network news program and all but damns himself while his lawyer was in the studio nodding approval. Is this the beginning of an insanity defense, as in 'May it Please the Court, my client is innocent since his mental age is less than that of the victims...'

The LAST WORD in this space regarding this travesty comes as an apology: it seems my use of the phrase 'Lightning Judgement' was completely incorrect. This mess has been simmering below the media surface for at least two years, so there is nothing 'Lightning' about it. Except perhaps the media reaction. (Where were all those reporters all the time the Grand Jury were deliberating? Why wasn't there any coverage?) And, it looks as if nobody in the chain of knowledge at Penn State is completely blameless in this. The failure of so many to do what is right may be all too human, but a huge shame nonetheless, and altogether too familiar to what we've seen and heard in the abuse cases brought against catholic priests over the past decade.

Euro Oh Oh

Greece is on the lip of the abyss, and Italy is slipping towards it down the Silvio slime-trail.

Who would of thought the Euro-zone would end up like this?

Somewhat more than half of the British people, actually.

Those 'Euro-skeptics' who said 'No, mate' to their countrymen who wanted to join in the common currency, are looking much wiser today than when they dug in their heels to save the beloved Pound, irritating many and looking like obstructionists to the glowing dream of a United Europe.

Of course, the skeptics' reasoning wasn't exactly economic, it was a fight to retain British sovereignty, but that's a story for another time.

No, it's enough now to say the British pubs are probably buzzing with 'I told you sos ...'

They'd better enjoy themselves while they can, since the bill for Euro bailout will be coming soon, and I doubt they can dodge it, skeptics or not.

Shake and Quake

I am not a sympathizer with the Mayan 2012 end-of-times lunacy that's been raging in popular culture the past few years, at least ... not ... yet ...

Lately I've been forced to admit it is odd that we've had two of the five largest earthquakes in recorded history occur in just the past 7 years, both followed by two of the most devastating tsunamis.

It is also weird in the extreme that we've had an earthquake hit the Eastern US, shaking both Washington DC and New York out of their tectonic complacency.

And now, even stranger, a quake hits Oklahoma, where the wind sweeps gently through the plains (when it's not sand-blasting through as tornadoes, that is).

What next, a typhoon in Des Moines?

Which is all to say I am now a bit confused. You can blame weird weather on man-made global warming, but it's much harder to blame earthquakes on carbon emissions. Unless sucking all that lubricating oil out of the crust might be causing some sticking and cracking?

Or maybe, just maybe, the Mayans had something there. Could all their kooky modern-day adherents have something too? Can we be on the run-up to the end?

I'm still a skeptic, preferring to believe these are just natural events that aren't leading to some catastrophe predicted a thousand years ago; but, hey, I've an open mind and time left to ponder (I hope).

Idiots United

Anyone see the movie Idiocracy? Mike Judge may be this generation's Nostradamus ...

Scanning what passes for news this fine Saturday morning, I was seized by a sudden, unwelcome thought. Which, since misery really does love company, I have to share with you:

What if the technology which has been built for us by very smart people is acting to amplify, popularize, and entrench idiocy? What if we are started on a cultural path that will allow public and institutional stupidity to drown out intelligent thought?

Think about it. Before the computer and internet technical revolutions, smart people had plenty of avenues to share their intelligence with each other, to build on that common ground, and advance. Universities, research institutes, scholarly magazines, and symposia were there to allow the meeting of the minds.

Conversely, there weren't as many ways for idiots to unite and encourage each other's dumbness. Sure, there were the social clubs - the Moose, the Shiners, the Kiwanises (Kiwanii?), but there was always the chance their membership would include a smattering of smarties. Most idiots just sat at home and watched sports, or drank a pint down the pub with their happily stupid mates.

But things are different now. We have Facebook. We have blogging (no IQ test needed). We have Tweeting for Twits. The most idiotic among us can instantly and repeatedly share their thoughts, either solo or in combination with dimwitted compatriots. Idiocy can be amplified until it drowns out everything else.

And then we get presidential candidates who think China is just now seeking nuclear weapons (they got them in the 1960's), who believe past indiscretions won't be brought up during campaigns, and who believe that denial of already discovered truth works as a strategy.

Which is too uncomfortably close to that movie I mentioned in opening this post. Dullards, it seems, are everywhere and in all strata of society. Smart people are still out there trying to say their piece, but are increasingly out-shouted by the technologically-amplified stupidity of the idiots.